Never-Engaged Warlock (5e Optimized Character Build)
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This page is of questionable balance. Reason: This build contains some errors. Druids must choose spells available with druid spellslots, making wind-wall unaccessable unless 5 levels were taken. This needs to be ratified or built around. In general, this entire build is terrible and not at all accurate.
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The Concept:
The Never-Engaged Warlock is a warlock-barbarian-druid and maybe even a little paladin multiclass centered around the eldritch blast cantrip and the eldritch invocation repelling blast. It uses three feats to prevent all but the fastest from attacking it by pushing away all who attempt to strike at it.
The Plan:
Race
Choose the half elf race.
Warlock
Take 5 levels in Warlock. You gain three invocations, an ability score improvement, and 3rd level spells. Choose the invocations, repelling blast and lance of lethargy. Take the eldritch blast cantrip and the hex spell. That's always been a warlock's bread and butter anyway. Choose the Hexblade as your otherworldly patron.
Barbarian
Take 2 levels in barbarian. Rages, Unarmored Defense and danger sense are nice, but the only thing that matters is reckless attack.
Druid
Take 1 level in druid. Don't take this level until you've reached 5th level warlock. For your spellcasting, choose the wall of wind spell. You'll be able to get this spell because you have 3rd level spell slots from pact magic.
Paladin
Take 8 levels in paladin. You gain smites, which are fantastic and will help you in a pinch, but the important thing is that you choose oath of the ancients paladin. You'll also gain two ability score improvements.
Feats
Use your three ability score improvements to take the War Caster feat, the Elven Accuracy feat, and the Polearm Master feat.
Equipment
Use a glaive, halberd, or pike for your weapon.
Other Levels
You've got 4 levels left until you reach level 20. You can do whatever you want with these levels. I'd recommend putting them into a single class however, so you can get a 4th ability score improvement and maximize your Charisma.
How it all comes together:
You might be wondering how all this seemingly random stuff synergies to prevent anybody from ever engaging you at melee range. Here's how it goes. Some monster comes to attack you with their club. Well, once they come within 10 feet of you, you get an opportunity attack because of Polearm Master. Instead of attacking with your weapon, because you have the War Caster feat, you can cast Eldritch Blast instead. However, you must make all the beams from your eldritch blast target the creature you would have attacked with the opportunity attack. If any of those beams hit, the creature will be pushed away. If two of those beams hit, then it is likely that the creature won't be able to reach you in this turn because it's far away from you and slowed down through the Repelling Blast and Lance of Lethargy invocations. So now our task is to make sure those beams hit.
On your turn, always activate the reckless attack barbarian feature. Because of this, all your eldritch blast attacks will be made with advantage. With the Elven Accuracy feat, the odds of hitting increases even more! As an added bonus, if the target is under effect of your hexblade curse, then your beams will critical hit 28% of the time! Your opportunity attack eldritch blast is also effected by the reckless attack feature and you can get the same benefits to those beams. So whenever someone tries to come up close, they'll be eldritch blasted away.
The above paragraph about reckless attack is wrong as this ability dose the following "Starting at 2nd level, you can throw aside all concern for defense to attack with fierce desperation. When you make your first attack on your turn, you can decide to attack recklessly. Doing so gives you advantage on melee weapon attack rolls using Strength during this turn, but attack rolls against you have advantage until your next turn." So any attack that isn't both melee weapon AND strength based doesn't gain advantage.
That raises the question, what do you do about ranged attacks? They'll be made with advantage? That's where the druid comes in. If your enemies have bows or slings, then cast wall of wind, making you utterly immune to small projectiles. That leaves spells. Spells will hit you more often because of reckless attack. This is the biggest drawback about the build. But paladin's got you covered. You gain resistance to damage from all spells through Oath of the Ancients Aura of Warding. You are practically immune to weapon attacks and resistant to spell attacks. At this point, your biggest issue would be a monk or rogue that could disengage as a bonus action. If you're really paranoid about this, take the sentinel feat.
Your general play stile could follow one of two paths at this point. Either you stand way back behind your wind wall and snipe people with eldritch blast, practically immune to everything, or you can do a hit and run strategy, smiting then running backwards, pushing melee attackers away. This one makes it harder to utilize your wind wall however, making you vulnerable to ranged weapon attacks. However, it deals better damage than sniping would. Either way, your character is extremely versatile.
Step-by-step:
This is the way I'd play the character. Feel free to modify, mix, and match any way you want.
Point buy with half elf ability scores:
Str: 15 (to multiclass into barbarian and wear plate armor, half elf stat here) Dex: 9 Con: 14 (half elf stat here) Int: 8 Wis: 13 (to multiclass into druid) Cha: 17
Level 1:
Paladin. For proficiency in heavy armor and martial weapons.
Level 2:
Warlock. Gain the eldritch blast cantrip and hex. Choose hexblade patron. Gain hexblade's curse and the ability to make a weapon attack using Charisma. Helpful for melee fighting capabilities.
Level 3:
Warlock. Gain the repelling blast and agonizing blast invocations
Level 4:
Warlock. Take pact of the blade.
Level 5:
Warlock. Take the Polearm Master feat. Use a quarterstaff until you can get the war caster feat in order to provide somatic components for eldritch blast.
Level 6:
Warlock. Choose the lance of lethargy invocation. You've gained 3rd level spell slots.
Level 7:
Paladin. Choose the defense fighting style.
Level 8:
Paladin. Choose oath of the ancients
Level 9:
Paladin. Take the War Caster feat. You're now ready to do the main playing style of your character.
Level 10:
Paladin. Gain extra attack. Gain the ability to tank and damage deal at melee range.
Level 11:
Paladin. Gain Aura of protection, one of the most broken features in the game.
Level 12:
Paladin. Gain Aura of Warding. Magic will harm you no more.
Level 13:
Paladin. Gain Elven Accuracy feat. Increase your Charisma to 18.
Level 14:
Barbarian. Improve your tanking ability with rage.
Level 15:
Barbarian. Gain reckless attack. Your critical hit fishing and perfect accuracy with eldritch blast may begin.
Level 16:
Druid. Take the wind wall spell. Gain the ability to fight solo remarkably well. All major mechanics achieved.
Level 17:
Paladin. 3rd level spell slots and more hit points than druid or warlock would give you. Eventual Improved Divine Smite for major damage dealing potential.
Level 18:
Paladin. Gain Aura of Courage. Decent feature that prevents a form of disadvantage.
Level 19:
Paladin. Gain Improved Divine Smite and an additional 3rd level spell slot.
Level 20:
Paladin. Gain an Ability Score Improvement. Maximize your Charisma.
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